Editorial: Pull pensions from felons

Texas legislators don't make a lot of money while they're on the job, but they do collect significant pensions when their public careers are over.

But that pension - which is a handsome stipend - should be something they earn through honorable service.

And it surely shouldn't be something they retain after they have been convicted of felonies.

Yet, they keep them.

That has to change.

State Rep. Kino Flores, who's about to leave office, was convicted of failing to disclose his income. The South Texas Democrat not only got to stay in office until the end of his term, which occurs this week, but he gets to keep the pension he has earned.

It's insulting for Texans to finance the pensions of legislators who run afoul of the law.

Another Democrat, newly elected state Rep. Eric Johnson of Dallas, has filed House Bill 246 to strip lawmakers of their pensions if they are convicted of certain felonious crimes. They include bribery, perjury, conspiracy or theft. All the crimes involve fiscal misuse of public money.

It's interesting, too, that Johnson now represents a Dallas County district that once was represented by former Rep. Terri Hodge, who pleaded guilty to tax fraud; she's now serving time in a federal prison.

This is one of those bills that makes complete sense. It also restores some honor to public service.

It also ought to be among the most bipartisan pieces of legislation that the Legislature will consider during this potentially contentious session. With Republicans holding a super-majority in the House of Representatives and retaining their solid grip on the Senate, they should join their Democratic colleagues in pushing this legislation forward. Indeed, HB 246 would affect not only every legislator in both chambers, but elected officials in the state's executive branch of government.

We've all been hearing about a new tone in government. Across the nation, voters sent a message in electing a new Congress that they want to see greater accountability and transparency in government.

Why not bring such a new standard to the Texas Legislature?

It's not that all lawmakers are crooks. But those who get convicted of felonies - in the minds of many Texans - have sacrificed any claim to a handsome pension when they return to private life.

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thats where our $ is going along with the pensions of the local labor unions our mayor Mrs Mc cartt doesnt have a clue ........it is coming out of the water funds into the general fund let her ask Dean Frigo on live tv to explain it or let her explain it .30 million salaries etc gone

I have to agree that if an elected official is convicted of a crime they should have their pensions revoked. We have enough budget problems and people collecting pensions that have worked the bare minimum in effort and time to collect those pensions.

I have always stressed that politicians should be paid for the time that they are working on the state or nations business and all other time they should have to provide for themselves and that NOT as lobbiest. If they come in and work their entire lives in politics, which I DO NOT want for ANY politician, then yeah give them the retirement but it should be based just like each and every other american citizen. Even our military veterans only get a percentage of a retirement after 20 years of service and full at 30 years. They do a whole lot more work than the politicians telling them what to do and where to go to possibly sacrifice their lives.

As for the comment by sumthing2say, I have to agree there as well. NO ONE not congress, governors, presidents, buerecrats et al should be exempted from the laws that common workers are required to live by. The last time I checked in the Declaration of Independence 2nd paragraph begins "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," that in itself tells me that the politicians are no better and should be held to the same standards of each and every other american.

This nation has now become a nation where not only politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle, but also corporations and individual people think that they are OWED their bonuses, kickbacks, under the table loans that are never required to be paid back, and basically a paycheck that they havent earned. Let each man and woman go out and earn their fair wages and be paid for their hard work. If they do not then DO NOT come to me and my family and expect me to pay your bills. I have my own to pay and these days that doesnt come that easy a lot of times but we work and pay our own way and dont ask others to do it for us.